Bristol discount restaurant app Wriggle has ceased trading for good, its founder has confirmed. The once-popular app curated deals from eateries around the city and at its height operated in seven UK cities and was downloaded more than 400,000 times.
But the company “never recovered” from the shock of the three Covid locadowns - despite trying to relaunch - according to boss Rob Hall.
“After each lockdown, we tried to return - but too much momentum was lost, and there was so much pent-up demand for dining out post-pandemic (and red tape around dining restrictions with the rule of six) that our restaurant partners didn't come back to Wriggle at sufficient speed,” he told Bristol Live.
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"Sadly we took the decision, after conversations with our investors and team, to close Wriggle down earlier this year.” Wriggles’ other businesses - online food shop Bristol Pantry, independent shopping platform Squiggle, and a luxury food gifting service - have also closed for good.
Bristol Pantry was an online shop launched during the pandemic that sold food and drink from independent eateries around Bristol. It featured bakers, butchers, brewers, greengrocers and coffee roasters from across the city, including Bristol Beer Factory, Moor Beer, Eatchu, Popti & Beast and more. But following a drop-off in online grocery shopping after the lifting of Covid restrictions, the business couldn't continue viably.
“During the pandemic… it was fantastic, and enabled us to deliver local produce to the people of Bristol in an aggregated delivery,” explained Mr Hall. “This worked really well during the lockdowns - particularly Christmas 2020 and January 2021, but as lockdowns lifted in mid-2021 and customers' shopping behaviour returned to pre-pandemic patterns, it was apparent it couldn't continue viably.”
Mr Hall and his team tried to “pivot” Wriggle and Bristol Pantry for a final time in late 2021 - to roll everything into a craft-food gifting service in time for Christmas. But although the hamper concept worked "fantastically" over the festive period, it was “very seasonal”, he said. After speaking to staff and investors, Mr Hall took the decision to close the business completely in 2022.
Insolvency practitioners Milsted Langdon, on Redcliffe Way, have now been appointed as liquidators of Wriggle Local Limited.
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